Extendable and shortenable candle



7 March 14, 1967 w. BINDERMAN 3,308,638

EXTENDABLE AND SHORTENABLE CANDLE Filed Dec. 7, 1964 I2 I I2 I ll FIG. 2

INVENTOR. WALTER BINDERMAN Z ZQQ y 7 v ATTORNEY United States Patent F 3,308,638 EXTENDABLE AND SHORTENABLE CANDLE Walter Binderman, Eatontown, NJ. 07724 Filed Dec. 7, 1964, Ser. No. 416,357 3 Claims. (Cl. 6755) This invention relates to a candle containing lighting fluid and adapted to be lengthened or shortened, as desired. More specifically, it deals with a liquid fuelburning candle comprising a cylindrical fuel container around and on to which may be engaged a sleeve or sleeves of candle body in order to lengthen the candle to any desired length, which sleeves also may be removed to shorten the candle, as desired.

There are many instances when candles of larger or smaller size are desired. At the present time, candles of the required size are purchased for such purposes. This also applies to candles which burn liquid fuel.

According to the present invention, there has been made available a single candle which may be lengthened or shortened, as desired, thus eliminating the need for purchasing candles of different size. Such a candle is readily manufactured and is easily lengthened or shortened by insertion or removal of one or more sleeve candle bodies.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawing in which a preferred embodiment is described, and in which FIGURE 1 depicts a side view, partially cut away, of a top and bottom portion of a preferred embodiment of a candle of the present invention, in extended form. A cross-sectional side view of the upper portion of a similar candle, in shortened form, is shown in FIGURE 2. The same numerals refer to similar parts in the various figures.

Referring again to the drawing, numeral 5 refers generally to a conventional fluid-fed candle tip, preferably of round cross-section, and comprising a hollow Cap 6, made of metal, heat-resistant plastic, or the like. Cap 6 tapers upwardly to a narrow, hollow projecting wick exit 7. The lower portion of hollow 8 in cap 6 is preferably provided .with threads 9 to accommodate threaded open neck 10 of elongated cylindrical fuel container 11, which is made of metal or oil-resistant plastic, or other suitable material. Between neck 10 and container body 11 is preferably a wide flange 12 which preferably extends a little beyond the body peripheries of the cap and candle.

The upper portion of the preferably frusto-conical candle body, indicated generally as 13, consists of two or more sleeve units, such as upper sleeve 14 and lower sleeve 15, which units may be of metal, but are preferably of plastic. The uppermost sleeve 14 may fit snugly over fuel container 11 and leave the lower portion 11 of the fuel container exposed for a sufficient distance to permit slipping thereover of the upper portion 15' of candle sleeve body 15. The outside peripheries of body sleeves 14 and 15 are preferably tapered so that a continuous, smooth taper is evident down to the larger diameter lower candle portion, indicated generally as 16. The latter is preferably provided with a wider flange 17, and frusto-conical base 18, for fitting into a candle stick. Wick 18 reaches into the bottom of fuel container 11 and extends through cap 8 and out of exit 7 as wick tip 18".

3,398,638 Patented Mar. 14, 1967 As can be seen from FIG. 2, lower body sleeve portion 15 may he slid over fuel container 11 in snug fitting relation, with regard to its upper portion 15, whereby a short candle is obtained. To obtain a longer candle, body sleeve portion 15 is slipped off container 11 and upper sleeve 14 is first slipped on to the upper portion of container 11. Then lower sleeve portion 15 is slipped over the lower portion of container 11, and a longer candle is obtained, as in FIG. 1. The candle of FIG. 1 may be shortened by removing upper sleeve 14, as indicated above.

Although only two sleeve portions are shown in the drawings, it is to be understood that any desired number of such sleeves may be employed, provided container 11 is long enough to accommodate all of them, and provided the interior surfaces of the sleeves have portions which fit snugly against container 11, thereby insuring a satisfactory and safe assembly.

Furthermore, although a cylindrical candle is shown, it is to be understood that other shapes may be used, provided obvious changes are made in the respective parts involved.

I claim:

1. An extendable and shortenable candle, comprising, in combination:

a hollow candle tip mountable over a candle body portion and having a wick exit in the upper portion and having container engaging means in the lower portion ofits hollow interior for supporting a fuel container within said candle,

an elongated fuel container having a top provided with engaging means coacting with the engaging means in the tip, and designed to hold fuel and a wick to be fed through said Wick exit,

at least two removable sleeve candle body portions, mountable under said tipin superimposed relation to each other and including a lowermost sleeve portion, said sleeve portions having snugly fitting interior portions designed to fit around said container, said lowermost portion being provided with mounting means for mounting in a candlestick,

said candle tip having a bottom width adequate to extend over the upper edges of all of said body portions, and

said container having a length adequate to extend into and hold together all of said sleeve portions.

2. An extendable and shortenable candlestick according to claim 1 in which the sleeve candle portions also include an uppermost portion which is disposed under and adjacent said tip.

3. An extendable and shortenable candlestick according to claim 1 in which each of said body portions has a frusto-conical outer periphery designed as a smooth continuation of the outer peripheries of its adjacent body portions.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,360,387 11/1920 Fisher 67-55 2,436,995 3/1948 Hamilton 67-55 JAMES W. WESTHAVER, Primary Examiner. 

1. AN EXTENDABLE AND SHORTENABLE CANDLE, COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: A HOLLOW CANDLE TIP MOUNTABLE OVER A CANDLE BODY PORTION AND HAVING A WICK EXIT IN THE UPPER PORTION AND HAVING CONTAINER ENGAGING MEANS IN THE LOWER PORTION OF ITS HOLLOW INTERIOR FOR SUPPORTING A FUEL CONTAINER WITHIN SAID CANDLE, AN ELONGATED FUEL CONTAINER HAVING A TOP PROVIDED WITH ENGAGING MEANS COACTING WITH THE ENGAGING MEANS IN THE TIP, AND DESIGNED TO HOLD FUEL AND A WICK TO BE FED THROUGH SAID WICK EXIT, AT LEAST TWO REMOVABLE SLEEVE CANDLE BODY PORTIONS, MOUNTABLE UNDER SAID TIP IN SUPERIMPOSED RELATION TO EACH OTHER AND INCLUDING A LOWERMOST SLEEVE PORTION, SAID SLEEVE PORTIONS HAVING SNUGLY FITTING INTERIOR PORTIONS DESIGNED TO FIT AROUND SAID CONTAINER, SAID LOWERMOST PORTION BEING PROVIDED WITH MOUNTING MEANS FOR MOUNTING IN A CANDLESTICK, 